Apparatus for making turbine blades



July 22, 1930. R. c. ALLEN APPARATUS FOR :MAKIN-G'TURBINE BLADES Original Filed Dec. 5, 1924 2 Sheets -Shet 1 INVENTOR R1 Al len ATTORNEY July'ZZ, 1930. R. c. ALLEN APPARATUS FOR MAKING TURBINE BLADES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Original Filed Dec. 5,- 1924 Fig.9

INVENTOR R.G.A| left ATTORNEY Patented July 22, 1930 STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT 0., ALLEN, or SWARTHMORE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE anaem c & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, aconronn'rion or PENNSYLVANIA APPARATUS FOR- IVEAKING TURBINE BLADES Original application filed December 3,

This application is a division of my application, Serial No.753,582, filed December 3,1924. v i

The present invention relates to. a method and apparatus for making turbine blades, more particularly, low pressure blades, of the character disclosed in said application andalso described herein, and it has for its object/to provide a simplified method and apparatus of the character set forth.

Apparatus'embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional View of a turbine rotor and cylinder having my'improved blading applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View descriptive of the motive fluid flow through the blades and showing in section a part of the blades illustrated in Fig. 1 along the lines 2+2 and 2'2 of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of'one of the blades, drawn to a larger scale thanFig. l and showing in section the varying contour of the blade from root to tip; Fig. 4 is a plan View of a milling machine with a die block for forging my improved turbine blade in process of being formed; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the die block shown in Fig. 4

and indicating the direction taken by the milling cutter shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the die block illustrated in Fig. 4, drawn to a larger scale and showing the contour of the cut made by the milling cutter in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a viewof the milling machine and die block shown in Fig. 4, the position of the die block being altered from the position shown in Fig. 4; Fig.8 is a sideelevation of the die block showing from another view the position of thedie block in Fig. 7 and also showing-the direc-' tion of the cut made by the milling cutterillustratedin Fig. 7 ,Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the contour of the cutmade by the milling cutterin Fig. 7, the altered the blades; andFig. 10 "is a perspective view 1924, Serial No. 753,582. Divided and this application filed June 14,1927. Serial No.:198,852.-

of the completed die block and showing the surfaces of the blade developed thereby.

Inturbines of the multistage type. actuated by elastic fluid (hereinafter referred to .cific volume of the steam at the variouspressures in the various stages. of the turbine. Thus the blades in the high pressure end of the turbine are relatively short while the plades in the low-pressureend are relatively ong.

The diameter of the rotor of aturbine plus the length of a blade, which is equivalent to a diameter measured across the. rotor between the midpoints of the blades on opposite sides thereof, isusually referred to in turbine practice as the mean diameter of the blades. The low pressure blading in large condensing steam turbines has been made, in the past, as long as one-fifth of the mean diameterwith a fair degree of eiiiciencyl There is, of course, an appreciable difierence in peripheral speed at the tip and at the base of a blade of this height, the tip having a peripheral speed 50% greater than the speed at the base in the case of a rotor blade. In past designs, where the length of the blade did notexoeed onefifth of the mean diameter, blades of parallel sections have been used for the reason that they may be more cheap- 1y produced. Where the blades have been operations have been employed. With blades of parallel sections as great as one-fifththe mean diameter in length, there is some disturbance to thesteamflow at the tip and at the base portions of the blade, inasmuch as the blade inlet angle is onlycorrect at one point, usually atthe mean diameter or mid portion of the blade.

In. recent turbines it has been found'nec;

essary to useulolades greater in length than one-fifthof the mean diameter "and of higher peripheral speeds than those employed in As the blades increase in length from the high to the low pressure end of the turbine, the speed of the tips of the moving blades relative to their root portions increases and the velocity of the motive fluid discharged from the moving. blades, if considered relative to the stator or casing, is, in most practical applications, less at the tips than at the root portions of the moving blades. Assuming that the motive fluid leaves a row of moving blades at a constant angle to the side of I the blade row fromthe root to the tip of the blades, the difference in speed of the blade at the root and the tip gives a resultant direc tion, or trajectory, to the steam leaving the blade row which varies progressively from the root to the tip, if the direction relative to thestator or casing be considered. Thus, the motive fiuid may leave the root of the blade in a moving row, for. example, with a trajectory at an acute angle relative to the stator, while at the tips of the blades the trajectory of the steam leavingthe row may be at approximately a right angle, relative to the stator or even an obtuse angle, depending of course, upon the blade speed, the steam 1 speed and the exit angle relative to the side ofthe blade row.

From the above it is evident that in order to avoid eddying of the motive fluid as it enters the succeeding row of stationary blades the inlet angles of those blades should be such as to correspond with the varying trajectory of steam leaving the preceding row of moving blades. In the example assumed in the preceding paragraph, the inlet angle of the succeeding stationary .row of blades should be an acute angle at the base of the blade varying. to approximately a right angle at the tip. of the stationary and moving blades it will be evident that the next succeeding row of moving blades should have similar corresponding inlet angles.

It is obvious that variation in outlet angles will cause a radial displacement of the cen :ter of gravity of the steam flow so that special problems will be introduced if the outlet angles are varied. Considering the fore going, therefore, it will be apparentthat the most efficient and desirable blade structure is one wherein the exit angles of the blades Considering the relative motion are constant and wherein the inlet angles vary from the roots to the tips of the blades in conformity to the varying trajectory of the entering steam.

In order to meet the requirements of a long tapered blade which may accommodate itself to the varying conditions of steam flow through the turbine, the manufacture thereof has heretofore been a long, laborious and very expensive process. It has been proposed to forge the blades and to thereafter warp or twist them by means of a suitable tool, in

order to provide suitableinlet and leaving drical. and plane surfaces, the axes of which diverge longitudinally and laterally of the blade from the tip to the root thereof, and which provides a constant leaving angle and varying inlet angle from tip to root of the blade-in accordance with varying conditions ofsteam flow inthe turbine.

. In accordance with thepresent invention, I produce thisblade by drop-forging, employing in the process an improved die block whiclris simple ofdesign and easy of manufacture,[wl1ereby blades of the greatest efficiency may be produced at a minimum of cost, and which require no twisting orwarp ing to accommodate varying conditions of steamv'fiow.

Referring now to thedrawings for a better understanding of my invention, I show in Fig. 1, at 10, a fragment of a turbine rotor and at 11 a fragment of a cylinder. At 12 is shown a row of moving blades carried by the rotor 10 and at 13-13 rows of stationary blades carried by the cylinder 11. The rows of blades 12 and 13 are of parallel section as they are of lesser height than rows 16 and 17 following and therefore may not require the tapering or working for the reasons stated above. They are followed by moving rows of tapered blades 1616 and stationary rows of tapered blades 17l7, said blades being made in accordance with my invention. The direction of flow of steam through the blades is from right to left and maybe better understoodby reference to Fig. 2, wherein a typical steam flow condition through rows 13, 16 and 1,7 is shown.

In Fig. 2 the blade sections in the upper part of the figure represent the stationary rows of blades 13 and 17 and the moving row 16 along the line 22 of Fig. 1, while the lower blade sections represent the same rows forth iii in which Vs represents steam velocity,*which is constant from the root to the-tips ofthe blades; V represents blade Velocity along the line22 of Fig. 1; V? represents blade ve-' locity along the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1; T and T represent the trajectory of the steam leaving a blade row relative to the succeeding-row of blades along the lines 2'2 and 2"2, respectively, of Fig. 1. The angle 0 represents the leaving angle of the steamfrom each row of blades, whichangle is constant throughout the blade lengthfor both the stationary and moving blades.'-- The varying trajectory T and T is determined by, and is a component of, the leaving angle of the steam relative to the blade row, the velocity of the steam and the velocity of the moving blade row at the point considered. The angles made by T and T with the side of the blade row determine the inlet angle of the next succeeding row of blades atthat point. Inasmuch as the blade velocity along the line 2-2 is much greater thanthe blade velocity along the line 22 the inlet angle along the line 22 as determined by the trajectory T ismuch greater than the inlet angle along the line 2.2 as determined by T in order to avoid disturbances in the steam flow as hereinbefore pointed out. i p a Referring to Fig. 3,71 show in further de-- tail a blade made inaccordance with my invention.- In thisfigure 18 represents theport, or working section, of the blade and 19 the root or holding section which maybe of any form known in the art. Sectional views of the port section 18 are shown in'21, 22,23; 24 and 25, said sectionalviews showing the inlet and leaving angles ofthe blade at the respective points selected. It will'be noted that the port section 18 of the blade increases in cross section from the root to the tipthereof and that the leaving angle 6 is-constant from the root to the tip. The inlettedge of the blade makes an angle with the side of the bladerow' as shown at a2, a3, a4, a5 and a6 said angles being relatively smallnear the root of the blade and increasing toward the tipin'order to accommodate the varying trajectoryof the steam from the next preceding row of blades as shown in 2- and prevent disturbances in the steam flow. In accordance with myiiit. vention the blade'is so produced that the inlet f angles increase progressively fron the root to the tips of the blades as may best be understood by reference to the'method of making the blade which will now bedescribed,

In Fig. 4, I show a milling machine 27 which be driven by anysiiitable means as by a belt pulley 281" Mounted upon the machine bed isa block 29 to be machined for forming the intaglio memberof the dieblock which I employ in forging the'turbine blades.

' A milling cutter 31' i'sficarriedby journal bearings 32 and 33,-the latter being fitted to guides 34 and 36 so that they may be moved back and forth in the cutting operation.

Feed mechanismfor the milling cutter 31 is associated with the bearings 32 and 33, such for example. as sets of beveled ears at37 and j. I b

38, feed screws 39 and 40,a drive shaft 42 and a hand-operating wheel43.

In the operation illustrated in Fig. 4'the block 29 is placed at right angles to the cutter 31 and the cut is made straight through the face of the block as indicated by the dotted line 44 in Fig. 5. The contour of the out which I have found desirable for reaction blades is illustrated in Fig. 6 and comprises a cylindrical surface 45 supplemented by a flattangential surface 46. The surfaces 45 and 46 define the contour of the cameo member of the die block which is illustratedat 47 and consequently the contour of the concave or working face of the blade. The flat surface 46 is'at the leaving side of the blade, while the curved surface 45 is at the inlet side. Each of these edgesmay be progressively changed from root totip of the blade in the operation about to be described and which constitutes one of the most important features ofmy invention. 1

Referringto Figs. 7,8 and 9, I show the next operation in making the die-block. In the operation here illustrated, I showa milling cutter 48 which makes a cut in the block 29 having a contour asillustrated in Fig.9, comprising. a curved surface 49 supplemented by-a flat, tangential surface 51. It is to be understood, however, that the particular contour of either of the cuts illustrated will vary with the area and configuration of the required stea'm passages between adjacent blades. Thecurved surface 49 and the fiat surface 51 definethe back of the blade. In making the out here illustrated the block 29 is shifted at one end to one side from the posi tion illustrated in Fig. 4, and as illustrated by the dotted line 52 in Figs. 7 and 9 and also raised at one end as. shown at 53, Figs. 8 and 9. The cutter 48 is now driven straight through the block 29, whichhas been shifted to the position indicated, and in traversing said block theright side of the surface 49, as shown'in the drawing, approaches and cuts the right edge of the surface 45. In proceeding through the-block 29 a different part of the curved surface of the millingicutter 48 cuts across thecurved surface 45 describing therewith askew curve, or a curve, of double curvature.

As is well understood in the art, whenproducing an art-icleby forging, it isnecessary that a. space Ibe left along the inner edges ofithe striking surfacesof the die members forthe-flow, of metal. This is necessary in order to produce an article of definite dis mensionsu I accordingly show spaces 5656 at eachside of the die block to accommodate the' beforementioned flow of metal. These spaces or grooves may be formed by any suitable process. l/Vhen the metal for forming the blade is forged, therefore, there will beat each side thereof a fringe of rough metal extending the length of the blade.- In the final completion of the blade this fringe is cut off by any suitable process, preferably in a straight line a'longthe edges. of the blade. The resultant inlet edge of the blade then is finally resolved into a plane curve, the curvature of which depends upon the curvature of the cylindrical surface 45 and the direction of the cut diagonally across said surface.

The inlet edge of the blade being defined by a plane curve extending from end to end of the port section 18 of the blade, results in a flattening out of the inlet angle or causing it to become progressively greater from the base to the tip as will be more particularly described later. In making the out last described the block 29 is raised at its lower end as indicated at 53 in Figsi 8 and 9. The milling cutter 48 is driven straight through the face of the block 29 so that the curved surface 49 is cut deeper at the lower end of the block than at the upper end and gradually approaches the curved surface 45 of the cameo member 47 as it approaches the top, the two surfaces 45 and 49 thus defining an area ofprogres'sively decreasing cross'section from base to top. Referring to Fig. 9 the axis of the surface 49 is indicated at O and the axis of the surface 45 at X, said axes lying in diiferenthorizontal planes. 'Upon considering the pathsof the'inilling cutters 31 and 48 in describing these two surfaces as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7, itwill be seen that the axes O and X converge longitudinally and laterally from the base to the top of the area defined.

In the particular blade heretofore described, which blade represents the preferred embodiment of my invention, the axes O and X do not, at any time, intersect, the axis O'passing beneath and-beyond the axis X. It is entirely possible, however, that a blade might be developed in the manner described in which the relative inclination of the two curved surfaces 45 and 49 be such as to result in intersecting axes;

r In Fig. 10, I show a perspective view of the completed die block wherein the contour of the port section 18 of the blade with its surfaces 45 and 46 are shown lying in the intaglio member 29. The direction of the inlet edge of the blade with respect to the cylindrical surface 45 is indicated at 54'. It will be plain that the'line 54 cutting the curved surface 45 defines an inlet edge for the port section-18 of the blade, said inlet-edge'being such as to present-a progressively increasingan'gle to the side of theblade row from base to tip. It will be further evident that the two flat surfaces ,46 'and 51 cooperate to provide a leaving-edge which-presents a constant angle to the side, of theblade row.

In the foregoing description, the manner of developing the cameo member 47 of the die block has not beend'e'scribed. Inasmuch as thecross sectional area-of the cameo member is constant throughout it may be produced by any suitable machining process known in the art andwhichwill' not be necessary to describe here: The intaglio member may also be produced-by other machining proc essest-hanmilling. F or; example, the operations described mayalso be carried out by a planing process and it-isto be understood that the particular machining process therein described is for the purpose of illustration and is that which appears to me to be' the best suited for the operation. Itis further to be understood that the cooperatingsurfaces-definingthe blademay be developed in the reverse tothat described; that is, the area defined by the surface of the intaglio member mightvbeof a constant cross section and t-he area defined by the cameo member might be variable without departing from the spirit of; my invention;

While I have shown my invention in but one formg-it will be'obvious' to those skilled in the art that it'is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof,- and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shallbe placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forthin the appended claims.

What'I claim is 1'. A die-block for-forging a turbine blade embodying cooperating'members having cy-. lindrica'l surfaces with axes diverging laterally andlongitudinally from the tip of the block to'the base."

'2. A die blockfor forging a turbine blade embodying cooperating membersliaving convexand concave curved'surfaces, respectively, eachofsrid surfaces being supplemented by a flat'tangeiitial surface, the axes of said curved surfaces converging longitudinally and laterally from the base toward the tip. 3. A die block for forginga turbine blade comprising a cameo member-having a convex cylindrical'surface of uniform cross "sectional area supplemented at oneside by'a fiat surface, and an intaglio member'havin'g' a' concave cylindrical surface supplemented by a flat surface complementary to the flat surface of the cameo member, the axes of said cylindrical surfaces converging longitudinally and laterally from one end of the block to the other.- 1 v 4. ,A' die block-for forging a turbine blade having a -constant leaving-angleand an inlet angle increasing progressively from the base her with a convex cylindrical surface of uniform cross sectional area supplemented at one side by a flat surface, and an intaglio member having a concave cylindrical surface supplemented by a fiat surface complementary to the fiat surface of the cameo member, the axes of said cylindrical surfaces converging longitudinally and laterally from the root to the tip of the blade.

5. A die block for forging a turbine blade having a port section wider near the root portion than the tip, with a constant leaving angle and an inlet angle increasing progressively from the base to the tip, comprising cooperating members with cylindrical surfaces, said cylindrical' surfaces having axes diverging longitudinally and laterally from one end of the block to the other.

6. A die block for forging a turbine blade embodying cooperating members having curved surfaces, the axes of said surfaces diverging laterally and longitudinally, with respect to the cross-section of the block, from one end of the block to the other end.

7. A die block for forging a turbine blade comprising a cameo member having a convex curved surface and an intaglio member having a concave curved surface, an axis of the concave curved surface being inclined relative to' an axis of the convex curved surface both longitudinally and laterally, with respect to the cross-section of the block, from i one end thereof toward the other.

8. A die block for forging a turbine blade comprising a cameo member having a convex curved surface and a cooperating intaglio member having a concave curved surface, the axes of said surfaces diverging longitudinally, with respect to the cross section of the bloick, from one end of the block to the other en r In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 8th day of June, 1927.

ROBERT C. ALLEN. 

